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About this project

LOCAL is a campaign to produce 25 stories in premium digital media that promote locally-based alternatives to the global consumer culture. We need your funding now to help us create stories of leading thinkers, makers and doers, as well as (extra)ordinary people and their grassroots movements in cities around the globe.
This media will be hosted on our new video and social media channel dedicated to driving sustainability to consumers.

LOCAL transforms "stories into action" because we hold our viewers and fans alike to a commitment curve to make a difference in their own local neighborhoods. These are the stories -- and the people -- that will define the next decade of environmental activism.

The Project

"We live in community, not alone, and any sense of separateness that we harbor is an illusion." - Paul Hawken, Blessed Unrest

The Media: LOCAL focuses its lens on this “blessed” movement of communities and individuals dedicated and driven with one common goal: to create global change. We believe that through stories we can help synthesize these communities into a global network, with people working together to move forward and create the appropriate change in our world. Stories of smart cities, food activism and food security, environmental justice, living communities, transition towns, people living off-the-grid, regenerative design, the turn towards urban agriculture and crises in food and water infrastructure. Community is the solution.

LOCAL has big plans for helping to create a better, more sustainable, more environmentally-just world. The future of our planet is not in the hands of governments, institutions or organizations but in communities taking small, local and conscious actions that make a big impact on the global web of life. Each one of us, in our own efforts, can change the future. All of it will happen, thanks to your amazing support and enthusiasm.

With your support we will be able to produce 25 stories in premium digital media which will create a chain reaction to help us:

Promote and feature stories on all things sustainable, prosperous, productive, and creative.

Launch LOCAL globally.

LOCAL: Make the Switch to a new consciousness for people who don't just "like" or "comment" -- they act.

Why Kickstarter?

Because we believe in crowd wisdom. And in linking people with others who hold in common the belief in possibility – that we can create a better, cleaner, more sustainable world beginning in our own neighborhoods. Our goal is to produce a first season of digital media outside of the traditional investment funding system. Stories funded by the very people whose communities will be impacted by LOCAL. Because Kickstarter defines the way independent, fan-supported media is funded, developed, created, defined, discovered, and promoted. It activates a user base that we know is passionate about our project.

Spread the word and put our project out there in your social media communities -- that’s how we connect and match people interested in funding projects like LOCAL.

Make a pledge and become part of this very special project! And check out our amazing rewards designed and supported by a list of ecological and sustainable partners and vendors.

The Rewards

$10 Level

A LOCAL wallpaper - featuring designs by Leandro Castelao - for your iPhone/Android device PLUS your name in the credits of the first 25 shorts and on LOCAL's new website (launching Spring 2013).

$25 Level

Access to a pre-launch digital download of the first 25 shorts PLUS the iPhone/Android wallpaper and your name in the credits of the shorts and on LOCAL's channel (launching Spring 2013). No shipping, don't worry, that's an error in the right column!

$50 Level

A specially packaged pre-launch DVD of the first 25 shorts and an 8GB USB flash drive made from sustainable bamboo PLUS access to the digital download, the iPhone/Android wallpaper, and your name in the credits of the shorts and on LOCAL's channel (launching Spring 2013).

Alternative Apparel

LOCAL only works with social enterprises that empower people through opportunity
and through their products. Like LOCAL, Alternative
Apparel thrives on creative collaboration.
As a socially conscious clothing company, Alternative’s goal is to
inspire individuals, catalyze positive change and empower good.

Silkscreened on the vintage-soft feel of Alternative Apparel's fabrics and one-of-a-kind washes PLUS all rewards at the $50 level.

All T-Shirts are made from 100% organic cotton and finished with a satin garment wash for luxurious softness. They are part of a Alternative's sustainable eco-friendly collection, manufactured with cotton and fibers derived from sustainable raw materials. Your choice from 4 styles. For sizing info, click here.

Thank you, Alternative Apparel.

$100 Level - Alternative Apparel Hoodie

A LOCAL branded hoodie made from eco-fleece, developed by Alternative Apparel using a mixture of recycled and organic threads from Alternative's eco-friendly collection PLUS all rewards at the $50 level. UNISEX regular fit. For sizing info, click here.

Thank you, Alternative Apparel.

Grove

Grove is a sustainable company known for great innovation, direct human relationships, and superior quality. LOCAL is so honored to have our laser engraved bamboo cases designed by one of Grove's premier artists.

$175 Level - Grove iPhone Case

Every time you text or make a call, you are proudly supporting LOCAL's mission promoting renewable energy, windpower, solar, and community efforts to green our neighborhoods. Your iPhone says it all.

An iPhone case laser-engraved with LOCAL's artwork from Grove Press made from a sustainable, renewable bamboo exterior and a 100% post-consumer plant fiber composite core PLUS all rewards at the $50 level. Hand-sanded and oiled to craftsmanlike quality. All made in the U.S.A. Available for the iPhone 4 and 5. Thank you, Grove.

LOCAL is thrilled to collaborate with the awesome Leandro Castelao - one of the world’s premier graphic illustrators and designers of vector art. Leandro’s support for LOCAL’s own passionate drive for sustainability informs his original artwork featured in our series of rewards. Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and a professor of typography at their prestigious university, he is influenced by nature, movies, artists, texts, books, and early 20th century avant-garde movements. His work renders real objects as simple lines and geometric shapes living together in a new graphical environment. Leandro’s illustrations have been featured in Monocle, GOOD Magazine, Esquire, The Economist, The Times, and Wired. He created the official poster for the COP15 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference and has designed for Nike, Esquire, Étapes, GQ, UN, Nokia, Siemens, and Google, among others. Read this great interview with him and become a fan: http://www.fontanel.nl/special/interview-leandro-castelao/

The following rewards were created in partnership with Leandro Castelao.

$100 Level - "LOCAL: Make the Switch" Poster by Leandro Castelao

Proudly support LOCAL's mission promoting renewable energy, windpower, solar, and community efforts to green our neighborhoods to all of your friends by hanging this message on your wall. An original 18x24 poster designed exclusively for LOCAL PLUS all rewards at the $50 level.

This poster beautifully illustrates many of the principles of sustainability that LOCAL espouses. Leandro wrote us: “It's been a personal process of making the art for LOCAL. I worked on it
a little bit one day, a little bit another day. I did many tests and at a
certain point I made some kind of graphic environment that I love. Feels crazy.
But I think it's the most colorful work I've ever done.” Thank you, Leandro.

$100 - Limited, 1st Edition, signed Hardcover copy of Blessed Unrest.

A leading environmentalist and social activist, Paul Hawken spent over a decade researching organizations dedicated to restoring the environment and fostering social justice, from billion-dollar nonprofits to single-person causes. These groups collectively comprise the largest movement on earth, a movement that has no name, leader, or location, and that has gone largely ignored by politicians and the media. Like nature itself, it is organizing from the bottom up, in every city, town, and culture. Fundamentally, it is a description of humanity's collective genius, and the unstoppable movement to re-imagine our relationship to the environment and one another. This is the book that changed the decade. Hawken will be one of our profiles, and now you can have a 1st Edition, signed Hardcover copy of Blessed Unrest.

A limited edition version of the poster - signed and numbered by Leandro Castelao PLUS all rewards at the $50 level. Hand silk-screened and printed on Cordenons paper to bring out the tri-dimensionality of the image, characterized by excellent stiffness and opacity. The design beautifully illustrates many of the principles of sustainability that LOCAL espouses. One of a kind. Thank you, Leandro.

Limited Edition of 75.

$500 Level - Design Workshop with Leandro Castelao

Be a part of the design experience!! This is for all design and illustration professionals (and students too). Exhibitions, talks and workshops are the means for Leandro to share his experience with people around the globe. Leandro has presented this workshop in London, Madrid, and India, You get the workshop PLUS all rewards at the $50 level.

Workshop Description from Leandro: Together we will experiment with different processes of manual illustration (cutting/pasting and drawing). We begin with elemental synthetic forms, and advance to a gradual transformation. Students work with simple synthesis and abstraction exercises guided by technical material and temporals. We then move to more complex and deeper stages. In these different methods we discover a new way of expressing, of viewing, and of creating. The result is a series of personal, illustrated experiments with some degree of abstraction, synthesis, complexity, and imagination.

Thank you, Leandro.

Soho, New York, 2013. Three 2-day workshops scheduled for January,
February and March. Limited to 20 students per workshop.

$500 Level - Filmmaking Workshop with LOCAL

An introduction to Digital Filmmaking with
LOCAL’s award-winning team PLUS all rewards at the $50 level.

Workshop Description: Spend 2 days with LOCAL’s filmmakers for an introduction to the basics of writing, directing, camera, and digital editing. Each participant writes, directs, shoots and
edits a 1-page scene - under the guidance of our directors and editors (FCP). Our Soho loft classroom is equipped with three Canon 5D Mark II HD cameras, large screen television,
and Blu-ray player for shooting and screening of clips.

Soho, New York, 2013. One 2-day workshop scheduled within 8 weeks of the Kickstarter campaign's completion. Limited to 10 students.

$1,000 Level

You have talent,
drive, and a story to tell. LOCAL is your opportunity to inspire a new generation of
environmentally and socially conscious viewers.
LOCAL will act as your producer, as you write and direct your own LOCAL
story. PLUS all rewards at the $50 level.

Late Spring, 2013. Limited to 20 backers.

$5,000 - Movie Road Trip

Hit the road with Team LOCAL, experience grassroots activism up close -- work with us and a community in documenting a local project that is helping to create a more sustainable future. Be part of our crew and help us shoot the stories that will define the next decade of environmental activism. Our cross-country mobile pop-up road trip will travel the U.S. in early Spring, 2013, in our minibus. We’ve identified over dozens of stories in 3 regions of the country, so backers for this reward will join us in one of the three regions closest to their hometown. We're thrilled to have you onboard.

This unique experience PLUS all rewards at the $50 level.

Spring, 2013. Limited to 3 backers.

$300 Level - Launch Party

And now, since you made it all possible, be our guests of
honor at LOCAL’s launch party for our first season of stories. The venue is set for New
York’s High Line in Spring, 2013 with catering by one of Chelsea’s foremost local, artisanal food
emporiums. Music by surprise celebrity
band. Come celebrate with us PLUS receive all rewards at the $50 level.

Spring, 2013. Limited to 75 backers.

A message to all our backers...“It comes back to us, as individuals, working in unison, to form and shape societies. Social commitments are commitments of individuals. Great social movements are the mere accumulation of individual actions. Let the future say of our generation that we sent forth mighty currents of hope, and that we worked together to heal the planet.” - Jeffrey Sachs, The Earth Institute

Risks and challenges

We are seasoned media entrepreneurs creating compelling media that leverage film's ability to ignite change. Our founder has been making award-winning documentaries for over 20 years. Some highlights over the years include: PBS documentary at the Rio Earth Summit, the first gathering of all world leaders to create a more sustainable world; documentary on the UN Nairobi Summit; documentary on the Green Belt Movement with Nobel Peace Prize recipient Wangari Maathai; UN MDG Summit closing film: We traveled to Tanzania last year creating stories of food security and poverty reduction; and with Green Focus Films we've worked with renewable and clean energy start-ups to help maximize exposure for their projects, inspire funding, create better markets, and initiate action.

We have identified and secured talent [notables as well as grassroots, (extra)ordinary people] for over 100 local, sustainable stories of change; have a realistic budget and schedule based on years of experience in the documentary, theatrical, and corporate film world; have started writing the scripts; and own high-end camera equipment.

We have the expertise and past experience to come in on schedule and budget. As far as community, building and outreach, we have thousands of friends and organizations who want to support us, and we feel great about the reach and power of Kickstarter to assist with that as well.

FAQ

Rewards

$10 reward

A LOCAL wallpaper - featuring designs by Leandro Castelao - for your iPhone/Android device PLUS your name in the credits of the first 25 shorts and on LOCAL's website (launching Spring 2013).

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

You selected

$25 reward

13 backers
All gone!

The above rewards PLUS access to a pre-launch digital download of the first 25 shorts.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

$25 reward

13 backers

Pledge $25 or more
The above rewards PLUS access to a pre-launch digital download of the first 25 shorts.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

You selected

$50 reward

8 backers

The above rewards PLUS a specially packaged pre-launch DVD of the first 25 shorts AND a LOCAL branded 8GB USB flash drive - made from sustainable bamboo.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

$75 reward

6 backers

All rewards at the $50 Level PLUS: An Alternative Apparel T-Shirt featuring silkscreened custom designs by Leandro Castelao. Made from 100% organic cotton and finished with a satin garment wash for a luxurious softness. Available in 4 styles.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

$100 reward

9 backers

All rewards at the $50 Level PLUS: An Alternative Apparel Hoodie with LOCAL branding by Leandro Castelao. Made from eco-fleece using a mixture of recycled and organic threads. Unisex regular fit. Available in 3 colors.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

$100 reward

2 backers

All rewards at the $50 Level PLUS: An original 18x24 poster designed exclusively for LOCAL by world renowned illustrator Leandro Castelao.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

$100 reward

3 backers
All gone!

We have 3 copies of a signed, hardcover, 1st Edition of Paul Hawken's Classic Blessed Unrest

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

$175 reward

0 backers

All rewards at the $50 Level PLUS: A bamboo iPhone case from Grove Press, laser-engraved with LOCAL's artwork. These hand-sanded cases feature a sustainable bamboo exterior with ergonomic button openings with full access to all ports. Made in the U.S.A. Available for iPhone 4 and 5.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

$250 reward

5 backers
Limited (70 left of 75)

All rewards at the $50 Level PLUS: A limited edition version of the poster - signed and numbered by Leandro Castelao. Hand silk-screened and printed on Cordenons paper to bring out the tri-dimensionality of the image. One of a kind.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

$300 reward

4 backers
Limited (71 left of 75)

All rewards at the $50 Level PLUS: An invitation to LOCAL's launch party at New York's High Line. Catering provided by one of Chelsea's local, artisanal food emporiums; music by a surprise celebrity band.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

You selected

$500 reward

3 backers
Limited (57 left of 60)

All rewards at the $50 Level PLUS: A 2-day workshop with Leandro Castelao in SoHo, New York. This workshop has been presented world-wide with design & illustration professionals, and students. There are three 2-day workshops scheduled for January, February, and March 2013. Limited to 20 students per workshop.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

You selected

$500 reward

4 backers
Limited (16 left of 20)

All rewards at the $50 Level PLUS: A digital filmmaking workshop with LOCAL. Spend 2 days with us in SoHo, New York, for an introduction to basics of writing, directing, camera work, and digital editing. Write, direct, shoot, and edit a 1-page scene under our guidance.

We're equipped with three Canon 5D Mark II cameras, large screen televisions, and Blu-Ray players for shooting and screening of clips.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

You selected

$1,000 reward

1 backer
Limited (19 left of 20)

All rewards at the $50 Level PLUS: Your chance to direct your own video that will inspire a new generation of environmentally and socially conscious viewers. LOCAL will acts as your producer as you write and direct your own short-form video. These videos will premiere after our first 25 launch stories.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

You selected

$5,000 reward

3 backers
All gone!

All rewards at the $50 Level PLUS: Join Team LOCAL on a Road Trip as we shoot the stories that will define the next decade of environmental activism. We've identified the stories in 3 regions of the country - so backers for this reward will join us in one of these three regions closest to their hometown. We're thrilled to have you on board!

Estimated delivery:Feb 2013

Funding period

Nov 19, 2012 - Jan 3, 2013
(45 days)

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